Thursday, October 6, 2011

If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.

If you're starting a company, one of the most important decisions you'll make early on is the selection of a co-founder. Some might advocate just “going it alone” because finding a great co-founder is hard and fraught with risk. It is hard and it is fraught with risk. But going it alone is harder — and riskier. Startups are very challenging and having someone to share the ups and downs with, to be a great sounding board for ideas and to just help get things done is immensely valuable.

One additional thought: I'm an introvert. I don't enjoy being around people very much. If you're like me, the notion of just doing something all by your lonesome might seem appealing. And, it is — but I think it's a mistake. Even for introverts, having someone on your side is useful and fun.

Another consideration is speed, captured well by this African proverb: If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.

So, you might be wondering: “Hold on there! As a startup don't I want to go quickly? Isn't it all about speed? Why should I wait to get started…I should go NOW!”

These are reasonable sentiments. Great entrepreneurs have a proclivity for action. I'm not suggesting that you stop everything and spend all of your time on the holy quest for the perfect (and mythical) co-founder. I'm suggesting that part of what you're doing should include being on a deliberate lookout for her. And, I'm saying that when you find someone that is awesome, resist the temptation to worry too much about things like dilution and control and what-not. If it's the perfect person, none of that will matter. Back to the African proverb. Yes, you want to go as quickly as you can, but what's more important is going far. You want to build a company that attracts amazing people and solves important problems. A company you can look back on and be proud of. There are very few experiences in life that can match that feeling.